


Rocks. Tonic. Juice. Magic.

by jamesileee



Category: One Tree Hill
Genre: Best Friends, Drama, F/F, LGBT, Light Angst, Love, Teen Romance, wlw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:40:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23770987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jamesileee/pseuds/jamesileee
Summary: No matter the drama, Brooke and Peyton WISH they could hate each other as much as they tell themselves they do. Sometimes life shocks you out of pretending.
Relationships: Brooke Davis/Peyton Sawyer
Comments: 6
Kudos: 23





	1. Damn Your Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Found this in a notebook from 2005-2006 ish. Even though it is my own work, I couldn't stop reading it. This is just the first part of many that I finally typed. I know the show is long over. I know the pairing was imaginary at best. But I can't stop loving Brooke and Peyton together so I'm sharing anyway. Anyone who reads after all this time, please let me know. Thanks and give me critiques. Like I said, I wrote this like fifteen years ago...

Brooke stared at Peyton as she smiled, laughed, and blushed as Lucas whispered something in her ear. She could have killed her. She could have walked across the gym and ripped out those perfect, shining green eyes. She laughed at herself; the image reminded her of one of those awful emo songs that Peyton used to impose upon her. The sentiment was accurate, though. That kind of passion could only stem from true emotion. It had to be real if Brooke thought she could skin the girl alive, right?  
They locked eyes more often than they should have, considering they were not speaking and hadn’t been for nearly a month. Despite everything, despite the looks of hatred that Peyton had been sending her, Brooke could still see the guilt and pain behind those huge green eyes. Peyton might have been good at keeping up appearances- fronts, really- but Brooke could see right through her. She saw the passion behind the hatred. Peyton looked like she wanted to rip out Brooke’s eyes as well, and that small fact gave Brooke hope.  
Why were they fighting this time? Brooke couldn’t even remember. Some time after she found out that Peyton and Lucas were sneaking around behind her back (again), she had made one comment or another about them, about Peyton being a back-stabbing whore, and three weeks later, here they were.  
“Bitch,” Peyton mouthed across the room, glaring into the hazel eyes that wouldn’t tear themselves away from hers.  
“Cunt,” Brooke mouthed back, sure to enunciate enough that Peyton couldn’t mistake the word.  
From behind Peyton on the bleachers, Haley’s eyes went wide. Either Brooke was being really rude to her for some unknown reason, or this was the closest thing to speaking she had seen Brooke and Peyton do in a long time. She rose from her seat and made her way across the gym, despite the odd looks she received from her classmates.  
“Brooke?” Haley inquired with concern, sitting next to the angry girl.  
“That wasn’t for you, Hales. You can go back to your study hall double date,” Brooke said thickly, rolling her eyes.  
“Have you two spoken?” Haley asked, no need to elaborate.  
“Only if mouthing names at each other counts.”  
“She misses you, Brooke.”  
“Bullshit,” Brooke spat, shaking her head hard.  
“She does, and you know it. You miss her too.”  
“It doesn’t matter if I miss her, Haley. She did this,” Brooke sniffled.  
“What exactly did she do?” Haley asked, trying to very subtly knock some sense into her friend.  
“She… snuck around with Lucas,” Brooke countered quickly.  
“And that’s awful, and I know it, but you two were still friends after that…”  
“She called me a bitch,” Brooke argued weakly.  
“And you called her a—something I won’t even say!” Haley gasped quietly.  
“Are you saying this is MY fault?!” Brooke asked, appalled.  
“No, Brooke. I just want to know what you’re really so upset about. You didn’t care about Lucas, and Peyton’s called you a bitch more times that I can count,” Haley said, knowing that she was getting through to her friend. “What did she really do?”  
“She fell in love with Lucas and forgot I existed,” Brooke said quietly, deflating. “She stopped needing me, stopped wanting to be around me. She just… stopped.”  
Brooke was good at keeping up fronts, too, but she couldn’t take this anymore. She was crumbling.  
“You need to talk to her, Brooke. You know she cares. You know she’s crushed right now, too,” Haley said softly, watching the tears shine behind Brooke’s eyes.  
“Yeah, she looks it,” Brooke scoffed sarcastically, watching as Lucas practically nibbled on Peyton across the room.  
“It’s not real, Brooke. I think you know she’d rather be with you.”  
Brooke whipped around faster than she had moved in weeks to see Haley shaking her head emphatically, wide-eyed and sheepish at her misspeak.  
“I meant she’d rather be around you. Spend time with you,” Haley corrected herself soundly, though she wasn’t actually sure that’s what she meant at all.  
XXX  
Sine. Cosine. Who gives a shit?  
Peyton was generally a great student, but she couldn’t seem to be bothered with the simplicity of Trig these days. She sat, sketching mindlessly as the teacher lectured, equally mindlessly.  
Haley watched as Peyton stared off, her hand moving of its own will as it traced the pencil across the sketchpad. It was obvious that Peyton wasn’t herself lately; you didn’t have to be Brooke to notice that.  
“You okay?” Haley whispered from her seat behind the brooding blonde, watching her sketch without her noticing.  
“Yeah. You?” Peyton spat out, still drawing away.  
“You sure?”  
Haley reached up and tapped the sketchbook, bringing Peyton’s conscious attention to it for the first time.  
In front of them sat a sketch of Brooke, the beginning of a real drawing, not cartoonish nor comedic. Her hair fell perfectly, as it did in life. She was smiling, her dimples implying that it was a sincere smile- a smile for Peyton.  
Peyton looked from the sketch back to Haley, who looked at her too closely and saw too much. The embarrassment of her subconscious taking over- and of being caught- was too overwhelming for Peyton to handle.  
“Fuck that!” Peyton spat angrily, more angry at her stupid brain than anything.  
Before she could formulate her next thought, her excuse, Brooke appeared beside them in the aisle next to their desks. She sat in the back of the classroom and could have been on her way to speak to Haley or the teacher or she could have read Peyton’s mind; no one could be sure of anything anymore. No matter what her intentions, Brooke was, as usual, looking at Peyton. She had been staring at the sketchpad long before either of the other girls had even noticed her presence.  
Peyton’s heart began to race, her breath ceased in fear. Her hand scrambled to close the sketchpad before Brooke could see, unaware that it was far too late. As her hand grabbed the book, ready to flip it shut, the warmth of Brooke’s hand enveloped it, stopping it (and all of Peyton) in its tracks.  
Peyton froze.  
So did Haley, anxiously awaiting a reaction. She knew Brooke, but that didn’t mean that she could predict her- Brooke was quite unpredictable. She could have begun to cry, or punch Peyton in the face and Haley wouldn’t have been shocked either way.  
Brooke eyed the sketch, long and closely, taking in every line the pencil had made to create her. She never removed her hand from Peyton’s, knowing that as soon as she did the book would be shut, the image gone. Peyton knew her incredibly well and the fact that she sat rows behind the girl in class proved that she had drawn in from memory alone. Her eyes, her dimples… they were just her, but a version of herself that she was certain only Peyton had ever known.  
She squeezed Peyton’s hand, causing the girl to finally, nervously look up to meet her eyes. The fear that Peyton’s expression held said enough for Brooke to know that she would never really lose her. In that moment, Brooke realised that she had somehow ended up holding the power. And she had wasted these past few weeks by not utilizing it.  
“It’s… it’s amazing,” Brooke said quietly, staring into the huge green pools that suddenly couldn’t tear themselves away from her.  
Brooke leaned down to Peyton, as she had a million times before, when it seemingly didn’t matter, and kissed her on the head, lips lingering on her temple before releasing her hand.  
“Amazing,” she repeated in a whisper near Peyton’s ear, before standing and shaking herself out of it, walking to the teacher, as she had initially intended.  
Now Haley watched Peyton, awaiting a reaction. The exchange between the girls had been intimate, not unlike every exchange they had when they were friends. She knew Peyton wouldn’t be able to handle it.  
Predictably, after a moment of frozen awe, Peyton slammed the book shut, gathered her things, and rushed out of the room, never once looking back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jealousy is a bitch.

“Get away from me, Lucas! God, can’t you take a hint?!” Peyton yelled, wrenching away from him as he tried to stop her from rushing down the hall past him.  
“Peyton, what the hell?!” he yelled back, watching her as she walked away. “We were fine this morning!”  
Haley approached, wondering what she had just witnessed, though she had a pretty good idea. She always managed to be close enough to catch up on whatever new gossip there was without having to pry- much. It helped that her two closest female friends and their antics were generally at the root of the drama.  
“Lucas, are you okay?” she asked softly, seeing the anger in her best friend’s eyes and knowing to tread lightly.  
“Yeah, Haley! I’m freakin’ great!” he spat, slamming his locker hard.  
“What happened?”  
“Peyton’s schizophrenic or something, I swear to god,” he rolled his eyes. “One minute she’s all over me, the next she ‘needs her space’. She just expects me to know which one it is all the time and I can’t keep up,” he shook his head, beyond frustration.  
“She wants space?” Haley inquired curiously.   
“Yeah. Apparently she can’t really be around me right now. Just wants to be alone. She didn’t have that problem ALL day, but now…”  
Haley thought about trying to comfort Lucas with the fact that Peyton’s change in demeanor was most likely just about Brooke. But when she really thought about it, as Lucas certainly would, that fact wasn’t very comforting at all. It would probably tear him apart. The idea that the only person that could evoke such emotion, such passion, from Peyton was not only NOT Lucas, but was Brooke, would be a blow to his ego. He had always had trouble with how close the two were, whether it was Peyton or Brooke that he happened to be dating at the time.   
The tumult of Brooke and Peyton’s connection could not be understood by any of their friends. The push and pull, back and forth. Such intense emotion did not usually come from people in a simple friendship. Haley understood what Lucas meant perfectly well; she couldn’t keep up either.  
“I’m sorry, Lucas. I’m sure she’ll come around.”   
Haley knew that she was lying but she said it anyway.  
“Yeah, right.”  
XXX  
Lucas knocked Skills to the ground with a hard thud, snagging the ball and shooting only to have it bounce off the rim and away.  
“Shit!!” he yelled, stomping like a child.  
He was playing hard today; too hard. His anger had only grown and gotten the best of him by the end of the day. Basketball practice had somehow turned into war and everyone noticed.  
“Lucas, what the hell?!” Nathan asked as they changed in the locker room.   
“What?!” he growled, not wanting to be criticized right now.  
“It’s basketball, not the NFL,” Nathan reasoned, seeing that gleam in his brother’s eye.  
“You’re one to fuckin’ talk,” Lucas threw down his gym bag.  
“Look, you can take shots at me if you have to, but obviously you’re pissed. Girl trouble?” Nathan tried to lighten the mood even though he had a good feeling that it wouldn’t lighten anything.  
“No.”  
“You’re an awful liar. You might as well take it out on me instead of Skills and the court,” Nathan shrugged, sitting down on the bench in waiting.  
“Peyton ‘needs space’,” Lucas said with finger-quotes, caving.   
“All of a sudden?”  
“Right?!” Lucas threw his hands up, knowing that Nathan would understand, even if he would never admit that out loud.  
“Don’t worry about it, bro. You know how Brooke makes her crazy,” Nathan said, attempting to be comforting and help this blow over.  
“Brooke?” Lucas asked, confused. “What does Brooke have to do with anything?” He felt his anger rebuild before he even had an answer.  
“Oh, nothing. Nevermind,” Nathan stammered, only now realizing that Lucas didn’t know the whole story- a story that would only piss him off more.   
“Nathan… what the hell happened?” Lucas said quietly, the edge in his voice actually making his brother nervous for a second.   
“Haley just said they kind of talked. Something about Peyton drawing a picture of Brooke. Girlie shit. No big deal,” Nathan vagued up too obviously.  
“Nathan, what are you leaving out?” Lucas demanded through gritted teeth.   
“I don’t know, Luke. I guess Brooke saw it, kissed Peyton on the cheek or something and she got pissed,” he said with no enthusiasm. “She’s just pissed at Brooke, bro. Not at you,” he tried like hell to flip it in a positive direction.  
“Does that mean they’re friends again?! Who kissed who?” Lucas said with rage as he stood and gathered his things, determined to get to the bottom of this.  
“I don’t know the whole story, man. I really don’t think it’s a big deal,” Nathan said quietly, wishing to be as far away from the whole thing as possible even though it was far too late.  
“No big deal?” Lucas scoffed. “Don’t worry, I’m gonna find out the whole story. Now.”  
XXX  
“Haley!” Lucas grabbed his best friend’s arm as she walked down the hall, before she could even notice he was near.  
“Hey, Luke,” she smiled, pretending to assume that her friend was just happy to see her; she knew better.  
“What happened with Brooke?”  
No time for pleasantries.  
“What do you mean?”  
She tried to play dumb, but she had never been good at it.  
“Haley!” Lucas yelled, drawing the attention of others in the hall, though he was in no state to realise that. “With Peyton! What happened with Brooke and Peyton?!” he stopped, drawing in a long breath and seeming to calm himself. “And you better tell me the whole story,” he said, and it sounded like a threat.  
“It wasn’t even anything, Luke,” she said, and she meant it, unsure why he seemed so intense.   
“If it made Peyton pull away from me, it was something,” he shot back.  
“Lucas, it was nothing!”   
“What happened, Haley?!” he yelled, drawing the crowd of eavesdroppers again.  
“Peyton was drawing a picture of Brooke. Brooke saw it, said it was amazing,” Haley said casually, hoping like hell to play it off.  
“Who kissed who?!” he demanded, finally assuring Haley that he was making it much more than it was (probably?).   
Haley’s brow furrowed. How much had Nathan divulged?  
“Brooke kissed Peyton, and it was just on the head, Luke. Like friends do. Just to say she liked the drawing.”  
“Why was she even drawing Brooke?! They’re not supposed to be speaking at all!” Lucas yelled, smacking his body hard into the lockers, overwhelmed by his emotions.  
“Okay, Lucas?” Haley took a deep breath and met his rage-filled eyes. “This is starting to get weird and you’re starting to make me mad. Nothing happened. They’re not friends again and even if they are, that’s up to Peyton, not you. If you have a problem with Peyton, talk to Peyton, not to me.”   
Haley shook her head in frustration and irritation with her normally intelligent best friend. Lucas could be as angry as he wanted; it wasn’t like it would change anything. Well, it COULD change something, but certainly not for the better.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas always held the anger inside of him; no one knew how much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm sorry, this is incredibly dramatic. (But that's fanfic, I guess.) I ran with Lucas's passion and anger and I built my own version. Please let me know what you think.

Brooke stood at her locker, gathering her things before leaving for the day. Her mind was a whirlwind and she couldn’t seem to shake herself out of her fog. Cheerleading practice had gone well, despite the fact that Peyton still refused to look at her. But if Brooke noticed correctly, and she always did, Peyton had refused to make eye contact with Lucas too. She didn’t know why, or if it meant anything at all, but she was admittedly petty, and she would take what she could get.  
She smiled to herself, thinking of her previous exchange with her P. Sawyer. She thought of the drawing, the beautiful sketch that proved she was still imprinted on Peyton’s mind. It meant everything to Brooke, more than she realised.  
Brooke was ripped out of her daze when she heard her name being called from down the hall, anger exuding the tone.  
Lucas looked disheveled and out of sorts, a gleam in his eye told her that this wasn’t going to go well. She had seen him angry many times before, but none compared to the pure hatred that was currently being sent her way. Now she really wondered what had happened with Peyton.  
“Hey, Luke. How’s it hangin’?” she said casually, testing his demeanor as he approached.   
“Don’t talk to me like we’re cool, because you know we’re not,” he spat, stepping forward.   
“I thought that was your fault,” she scoffed quietly, feeling the heat physically emanating from him.  
“What are you trying to pull?” he asked, voice rising. “Why can’t you just stay out of my life? You always have to go and fuck it up.” Each word became louder and gravellier the closer he got.  
“I haven’t even spoken to you since I found out you were messing with Peyton behind my back,” Brooke reasoned. “Doesn’t get much more ‘out of your life’ than that.”  
“I knew you were stupid, Brooke, but god, are you really THAT fucking dumb?!” he yelled now, and Brooke’s face dropped. “You want it all, right? Every guy to fuck you. Every girl… who knows what you want from them. You’re such a whore you probably want them too, at least to try to feel better about yourself.”  
“What are you talking about?” Brooke choked out, unable to hide the pain in her eyes.  
“You always have to get under Peyton’s skin. How dare you even talk to her?! Every time you look at her, she pulls away from me. But you probably know that, don’t you? Why else would you try so damn hard,” he snarled, completely filling the space around her.  
“Do you really think that everything’s about you?” Brooke dared to ask. “I MISS her, Luke. I never chose to lose her,” she said quietly, feeling her tears build.  
“Just stay away from her! Don’t look at her. Don’t talk to her. Got it?” he threatened, grabbing her arm way too hard as he backed her into the locker. She yelped despite herself.  
“No,” she said soundly, pulling her arm away from him regardless of the pain it caused.  
“What?!” he yelled, pushing her hard by the shoulders, her back hitting the lockers.   
She laughed in his face.  
“No,” she smiled, though the fear she felt was unwavering. “If she doesn’t want to be around me, I’ll respect that. But I’ll never stop trying for YOU. I’ll get her back, Lucas. She still loves me.”  
“No!” he screamed, pushing her harder this time, the sound of metal echoing through the empty hallway.   
Brooke tried to keep on a strong face, despite the pain the shove had caused.  
“She hates you, Brooke! You’re a fucking whore and she knows she’s better off without you! You’re a fucking idiot!”   
One final shove, the latch of a locker catching Brooke between the ribs and causing her tears to flow. Lucas stood over her cowering body, ready to push her again now that he had finally gotten a reaction.  
“HEY!!!” Peyton shouted from the end of the hallway, rushing to the scene in front of her. She had only been there long enough to witness the last shove, the last insult, but that was certainly long enough.  
When Peyton reached them, Brooke was huddled against the lockers with tears streaming down her pale face. That was all that she could see. In a second, she was at the girl’s side on the floor, enveloping her as she felt tears stinging her own eyes.  
“Shh… shh, it’s okay…” Peyton soothed, brushing the tears from Brooke’s cheeks.   
“Peyton…” Lucas said softly, panic-stricken, a different man now that he had been caught—by Peyton.  
“Fuck you!!!” Peyton screamed, causing Brooke to jump and tremble.   
Lucas reached out to her, desperate to somehow explain it all away.  
“Don’t touch me!” she screamed, pointing at him with one hand while the other clutched Brooke. “Get away from us! We are DONE, Lucas. Do you understand that? Not for this week, or this month! Forever!” she shouted, pulling Brooke carefully to her feet as Lucas retracted.  
“No, Peyton, I was just—”  
“No, Lucas! You’re the idiot. If you ever so much as look at her again, I’ll kill you,” Peyton said, her voice lowering but holding a seriousness that frightened him.  
He began to walk away, feeling guilty and heartbroken as his heart pounded in his chest, but stopped at the sound of Peyton’s voice.   
“Wait.”  
He turned to look at her, unsure what to expect, but stupidly hopeful.  
“Apologise,” she demanded, still holding Brooke to her.   
“What?” he scoffed, surprised by the request.  
“I said, apologise to her,” she reiterated, her tone reminding him that she knew he was as stupid as he felt.  
Lucas looked to the ground sheepishly, anxiety taking over him as he replayed the scenario and wondered if any of this was really happening, what had overcome him.  
“I—” he began awkwardly, “I’m sorry, Brooke.”  
Tears still ran down Brooke’s face no matter how hard she had tried to will them away, a mixture of fear from the situation and the physical pain that still stung her back and ribs. Peyton held her arm securely around Brooke’s waist, holding her up and comforting her at once.   
Brooke didn’t want to tell him that it was okay. She didn’t even want to look at him. She nodded silently.  
“Let’s go, Brooke,” Peyton urged quietly, guiding Brooke down the hall as Lucas retreated in the opposite direction.   
As they walked, Peyton unknowingly bumped a particularly painful spot on Brooke’s back, causing the girl to wince and cease her breath.   
“Let me see,” Peyton whispered, stopping and moving behind Brooke, ready to lift her shirt to see the extent of the damage.  
“Not here!” Brooke snapped, holding her shirt down and looking around the secluded hallway self-consciously.  
“Okay,” Peyton nodded, seeing the seriousness and lingering fear in Brooke’s eyes.   
Peyton nuzzled Brooke’s temple softly, guiding her out of the school and hopefully away from the fear that she felt. Nothing would ever take that memory away from her. And Peyton knew subconsciously that things were about to change, forever.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long one, folks. I hope y'all don't mind. We're building, and sometimes building takes time. Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews. Your time means so much to me. Enjoy! More to come tomorrow.

The ride home was silent. Brooke stared out the window, trying to wrap her head around the day’s unbelievable events. Lucas had been mad at her- livid, even- many times since they had known each other, but he had never frightened her as he had today. Something in his eyes was different. Cold. He had never hurt her before and until today, she never thought he would.  
She was certainly in pain right now.  
Peyton wouldn’t let go of Brooke’s hand. She sped through the streets that she knew so well, driving with her left hand while her right grasped her best friend’s. Brooke was torn from her daze when she heard the blaring of a car horn, looking ahead to watch as Peyton made a sharp left turn, closely cutting someone off.  
“You can have this,” Brooke held up Peyton’s hand, “back, if it’ll help,” she laughed. “Not that it will,” she added pointedly, watching Peyton’s face out of the corner of her eye.  
A smile slowly crept upon Peyton’s features as she remained face-forward, watching the road.  
“Are you making fun of my driving, Davis?” she asked, though she still refused to drop Brooke’s hand.  
“What driving? I thought we were on the rollercoaster in hell,” Brooke shot with a grin.  
Peyton fake-gasped, finally letting go of Brooke’s hand in order to pinch the girl on the thigh playfully.  
“Ow!” Brooke whined, slapping Peyton’s hand away despite the smile on her face.  
“I’m glad to see you laughing,” Peyton said seriously. “Especially with me. But I need to know what happened today, Brooke. With Lucas?”  
She pulled up to her own empty house as she awaited an answer from her suddenly nervous friend.  
“Can we go inside first?” Brooke asked quietly, sounding vulnerable and hating herself for it.  
Peyton just patted Brooke’s thigh as a response.  
XXX  
Inside the security of Peyton’s red bedroom, Brooke finally began to relax. That is, until she felt her best friend behind her, slowly inching up her shirt.  
“Hey!” Brooke turned, trying to brush Peyton off and remain in the calm she felt for at least a moment. She knew it wouldn’t last for long.  
“Let me see,” Peyton nearly whispered, her hands unwavering and strong.  
Brooke’s fearful mind stopped in its tracks. How could she argue with Peyton, especially now?  
“Sit down,” Peyton patted her desk chair, and Brooke complied.  
Peyton pulled up the back of Brooke’s shirt, entirely to her shoulder blades, before gasping at the sight in front of her- there were four fresh, red bruises adorning the girl’s back, the worst of which on her right ribcage.  
“Brooke…” Peyton trailed off, nearing tears, unable to grasp the impact of the situation.  
She gently ran her hands down the girl’s back, causing goosebumps in their wake. Her fingertips trailed softly over the uninjured parts of Brooke’s skin, silently willing the pain away.  
Brooke closed her eyes and breathed out, unfamiliar with such an intimate sensation. For a moment, she forgot the pain and just FELT. When Peyton brushed her lips across the skin of her back, letting them linger there, Brooke forgot to breathe. The lips remained still for only a moment before they grazed across the skin and stilled in a different spot.  
A tingle ran down Brooke’s spine and she released an audible breath, inadvertently pushing herself further into the touch of Peyton’s lips.  
“What are you doing?” Brooke asked quietly through closed eyes, needing to know despite not wanting the moment to end.  
“Kissing it better,” Peyton whispered, her breath causing Brooke’s skin to tingle even more and sending her heart into overdrive.  
Peyton was unsure if she should listen to her heart or her mind. Her heart told her that she was enjoying the sensation WAY too much, and that Brooke was too. Her mind told her that she might be freaking out her best friend and should stop before things got even more complicated.  
“Oh…” Brooke replied with a breath, and upon hearing it, Peyton placed another soft kiss on her ribcage.  
As Peyton’s hands trailed lightly up and down Brooke’s ribs, her lips inched down the girl’s spine, driving them both crazy.  
“Peyton…” Brooke whispered huskily, clutching the back of the chair in her hands as her mind completely fogged over.  
Upon hearing her name, Peyton was snapped back into reality. Her eyes shot open and she stood quickly, beginning to pace before her heart could catch up. She had gotten carried away. So carried away that she didn’t even realise it- that this was really happening- and she was immediately terrified. What the hell had she just done?  
“Oh god,” Peyton grumbled, wide-eyed, smacking her head in aggravation. “Oh god,” she repeated, pacing in circles and avoiding Brooke’s eyes, even as the girl rose and approached her. “I’m sorry. I saw the bruises, and I… I got carried away, and—”  
“Peyton,” Brooke said, quiet but firm, placing a finger over the rambling girl’s lips and grabbing her wrist with the other hand. “Shh…”  
Peyton’s eyes finally rose to meet Brooke’s, seeing nothing but love in them. No fear. Certainly no disgust. Just love.  
“I should—I’m gonna get some ice for your back,” Peyton nodded to herself, going quickly to the bedroom door, the closest escape.  
“Okay,” Brooke said quietly, secretly happy to have a moment to catch her breath.  
XXX  
Peyton returned a few minutes later with Boo-Boo Bear in hand- the brown, bear-shaped ice pack that she and Brooke had each gotten their fair share of use out of as children. She waved it at Brooke goofily, trying to rid herself of some of the awkwardness that she was feeling and reset the tone of the afternoon. Where to go from here? It’s not like they could forget about their previous exchange. Brooke would certainly have to pull her shirt up again, if not remove it completely, and Peyton realised that she had to keep herself in check. She wasn’t sure what had overcome her a few minutes ago, but she could still feel it coursing through her. Should she bring it up? Act like it never happened?  
For now, she would try to clear her mind and get back to the matter at hand; what the hell happened with Lucas?  
“Come ‘ere,” Peyton instructed, patting her mattress as she sat on the edge of the bed.  
Brooke laid down on her stomach next to Peyton- and then froze. She didn’t know if exposed skin was the best idea right now. Peyton may have gotten carried away a few minutes ago, but Brooke had gotten wet. Despite her emotional fear and confusion, unbelievable, unprecedented arousal had taken over her, and she needed to keep herself in check.  
Peyton’s hands went to the hem of Brooke’s shirt, inching it up as the girl shifted awkwardly below her. Had she really made her so uncomfortable? She said she had gotten carried away and she hoped that they could leave it at that. No reason to act strangely now, right? Brooke allowed Peyton to pull up her shirt- not as far this time- and Peyton stared at the bruises that marred her usually flawless skin.  
“Gonna be cold,” Peyton warned.  
“As ice packs often are,” Brooke mumbled sarcastically, earning a freezing-cold ice pack to the side. “Hey!” she yelped as she jumped, despite her chuckle.  
“I tried to be nice and warn you, but no…” Peyton rolled her eyes, becoming serious as she gently placed the ice onto an actually afflicted area.  
Brooke winced in pain, but soon got used to the sensation, even relaxing as Peyton began to run her fingers through her hair.  
“What happened, Brooke? I want to know the whole story,” Peyton said softly, lying on her side next to her friend, able to look her in the eyes.  
Brooke closed her eyes for a long moment, only to find Peyton staring into them when they opened. She felt safe now, here with Peyton. She had been needing that security.  
“I was getting ready to leave after practice, Lucas came up behind me…” she recalled. “He asked why I always have to fuck up his life, why I can’t stay out of it. I told him that I had, that I hadn’t spoken to him since I found out…” she trailed off, knowing that Peyton understood and not wanting to repeat it for the millionth time. “He said I was stupid. Many insults, actually,” she closed her teary eyes, remembering how he made her feel. “Called me a whore; that I want all the guys to fuck me and probably girls too,” she rolled her eyes. “He told me that I get under your skin. That every time I look at you, you pull away from him.”  
Brooke looked closely into Peyton’s eyes, searching for a reaction. Confirmation. Denial. Fear. Anything.  
“I told him that it wasn’t about him. That I miss you…” she reached up and ran her fingertips down Peyton’s cheek upon seeing the emotion that filled those huge green eyes. “He told me to stay away from you. Not to look at you or talk to you.”  
“What did you say?” Peyton asked, merely a whisper.  
“I said no,” Brooke told her proudly. “I told him that if you didn’t want to see me, I’d try to respect that, but I’ll never stop trying for HIM.”  
Peyton smiled at the thought. At Brooke’s unwavering strength when it came to HER.  
“Then he got angrier, I guess,” Brooke continued. “He pushed me, told me that you hated me… that I’m a whore. Pushed me, insulted me again. Pushed me and said that you know you’re better off without me.”  
Brooke couldn’t keep the emotion out of her eyes, not unnoticed by Peyton, who removed the ice pack and began to slowly stroke her fingers up and down Brooke’s back.  
“I knew those bruises couldn’t have been from just one shove,” she said quietly, torn between feeling livid at Lucas and pain for Brooke. “He hurt you, Brooke. Actually hurt you.”  
“He… he was actually scary, you know? And I’ve never felt scared of him, no matter how mad he’s been,” she admitted.  
“I’m so sorry, Brooke,” Peyton breathed out, a tear falling as she pulled Brooke to her in a tight embrace, holding her close. “It’s my fault. He hurt you and you hadn’t even done anything.”  
“But I did,” Brooke said with a smile that threw Peyton off. “I was about to get you back. And Lucas, despite being a dumbass, he knows he can’t compete with this,” she added with a cocky smirk.  
“You DO get under my skin, B. Davis,” Peyton said with a grin. “He was right about that.”  
“Good,” Brooke nodded, looking deeply into Peyton’s eyes. “If I didn’t, it just wouldn’t be fair.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That damn Haley...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, still typing and posting a work from years ago. I will keep rolling with it. This is just a short scene but the next scene will come today. Thanks as always.

“Peyton, what the hell—” Haley’s anger was interrupted by the sight in front of her as she roughly opened Peyton’s bedroom door.  
She had gone to find out what had happened with Peyton and Lucas, after he had called her, upset about the breakup. He had failed to mention what happened with Brooke, or Brooke at all, for that matter.  
Haley stood, awestruck, staring at Peyton and Brooke, face to face and legs entangled, sleeping atop Peyton’s black comforter. She should have known that this would have something to do with Brooke. Now to see the girls in this cozy position only solidified it.  
And to think, this morning they hated each other.  
Peyton stirred from her slumber, removing her hand from Brooke’s waist to rub her eyes. She awoke confused: What time was it? When had they fallen asleep? Why was Haley standing in the doorway?  
“Hey,” Haley said quietly, calming herself from the aggressive demeanor that she had arrived with.  
“Hi,” Peyton whispered, trying to remove herself from the bed without waking Brooke, to no avail.  
“Mmph…” Brooke grumbled sleepily, pulling Peyton closer and nuzzling into her side. That would have never been abnormal for the pair in the past but after today, to Peyton, it felt different.  
Haley’s eyes widened, still letting her mind wander with adulterous expectations. Peyton noticed the look at rolled her eyes.  
“Hey,” Peyton whispered to Brooke, brushing the hair away from her ear. “Haley’s here.”  
“She’s mad at me ‘cause of Lucas,” she mumbled, still not fully awake.  
“Huh?” Haley was more confused than ever.  
“Shh…” Peyton soothed Brooke back to rest, trying to rise from the bed only to be held close by Brooke once again. “I was gonna talk to Haley and let you sleep.”  
“Talk here,” Brooke pled, though it was more of a sleepy demand. “Mind?” she added innocently, smiling through closed eyes, and knowing she’d win.  
Peyton couldn’t help the smile that crept upon her own face.  
“Have a seat, Hales,” she chuckled quietly.  
“Lucas is a mess. What happened?”  
“What happened?’ What, he didn’t fill you in?” Peyton asked angrily, attempting to keep her voice quiet.  
“He just told me that you broke up with him. He doesn’t get it,” Haley told her, always concerned for her sensitive best friend.  
“He doesn’t get it?! That’s all he told you?!” Peyton spat, her volume rising unintentionally with her anger.  
“Shh, it’s ok, P,” Brooke said quietly through closed eyes.  
“What happened, Peyton?” Haley asked seriously, finally understanding that the circumstances were more dire than she knew.  
Peyton took a deep breath. Trying to explain the situation to Haley would be difficult, if not impossible. As her best friend, she usually saw Lucas do no wrong. Just telling the story wouldn’t suffice.  
“Brooke, honey, can I show Haley your back?” Peyton asked softly, running her hand through the girl’s hair, stirring her.  
“Ughhhh,” Brooke complained, opening one eye at a time and looking at Peyton skeptically. “Okay, but she can’t freak out,” she mumbled, waking herself out of her sleepy fog.  
“Freak out?! What’s going on?!” Haley asked, lost and concerned, and freaking out a little bit already.  
“Come ‘ere,” Peyton motioned, slowly pulling up Brooke’s shirt to reveal the bruises, which looked worse now that a few hours had passed.  
“Oh my god,” Haley put her hand over her mouth in shock. “What the hell happened?”  
“Lucas,” Peyton said simply, covering Brooke again. “When I saw them, he was calling her and idiot and throwing her into the lockers. He’d done it a couple times before I got there.”  
“No… Lucas wouldn’t…”  
“I saw him, Haley. I watched it happen. It was like it wasn’t even him,” Peyton admitted.  
“It’s my fault,” Haley squeaked, wide eyed at the realization. “I knew he was upset, but…”  
“Your fault?” Brooke asked, looking to Haley as she slowly tried to sit up with Peyton’s help.  
“He was upset that Peyton pulled away from him. Nathan gave him some guy rendition of your interaction in Trig and then he asked me about it.”  
“And you said…?” Peyton inquired.  
“Just what happened. That it wasn’t a big deal. I didn’t know he was so upset,” Haley said sadly, wracked with guilt.  
“He told Brooke to stay away from me, basically if she knew what was good for her.”  
“And I said no,” Brooke told her proudly, trying to smooth her hair and not relive the encounter.  
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry…”  
“It’s not your fault, Haley,” Brooke told her.  
“You broke up with him because he hurt Brooke,” Haley said, mostly to herself.  
“When I ran up to them, Brooke was crying on the floor and Lucas looked… insane. I don’t want to see his face, Haley, so don’t pull the best friend and tell me that I should give him another chance,” Peyton said seriously.  
“Are you kidding?!” Haley asked, wide-eyed. “If I were you, I would have slit his throat.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas has some explaining to do...

Lucas had been ambushed, even if he didn’t realise it yet. Haley had run right into his house; she did not pass go, she did not stop to talk to Nathan about the newest drama, she went straight to the source- and she was angry.  
“Lucas, we need to talk,” she said, stomping into his bedroom where he lay, sulking.  
“I’m not really in the mood, Haley. Can it wait?” he asked, flopping onto his side and letting his irritation be evident.  
“No, it can’t. And right now, you don’t get to decide,” she told him, approaching with her cell phone held out in front of her.  
“Come on, Haley. Get off my case. It’s been a long day.”  
“Not as long as it’s been for Brooke.”  
At the mere mention of the girl’s name, guilt and fear shone in his eyes, knowing he’d been caught. Haley held her phone out to him, revealing the picture of Brooke’s exposed and badly bruised back.  
“Did you really think that I wouldn’t find out? That you could just act like it never happened?!”  
“I didn’t do that,” he said quickly, unable to believe the atrocity before him.   
“But you did, Lucas. You might not have realised it, but you did this,” she said, shaking the phone in front of his face once again.  
“I…I didn’t do that,” he said with a huff, disbelieving and shaking his head in confusion.  
“How many times did you push her, Lucas?”  
“I… a few. I don’t know,” he admitted. “I wasn’t thinking straight.”  
“Obviously!” Haley spat. “You hurt her, Lucas. You insulted her, you threw her into lockers… you really hurt her, and I don’t think you understand that.”  
“I didn’t mean to,” he admitted, wiping unshed tears from his eyes. “I was so upset about Peyton and I knew it was her fault, so—”  
“Her fault?!” Haley countered. “If Peyton pulls away from you, breaks up with you, whatever, that’s her decision. I bet you wouldn’t have thrown Peyton into the lockers so easily. You were mad and you needed someone other than yourself to blame, Lucas. Brooke just got in the way. If you had seen her, Luke, those bruises…”  
“A-hem.”  
Karen stood in the doorway, looking more serious than Lucas or Haley had ever seen her. It truly scared them both.  
“What’s this? What am I hearing?” she asked, tone calm despite her obvious agitation.  
“Nothing, Mom,” he tried to brush off.   
The concern on Haley’s face, along with the fact that she had been eavesdropping, were enough to let Karen know that this certainly wasn’t nothing.  
“You hurt Brooke?” Karen asked, her face sad and unwavering. “What happened, Haley?”  
Haley looked to Lucas, silently begging for him to come clean so that she wouldn’t have to rat on him. The idea of giving Karen this image of Lucas broke her heart, but he put it upon himself and he should have to own up to it. Lucas’s silence and strong-standing ego gave her no choice.  
“Haley…” Karen warned.  
“Lucas pushed Brooke into the lockers a few times. He was really rude to her, and she’s hurt,” Haley said, monotone.   
“Hurt…physically?”   
Haley nodded, subconsciously glancing at her cell phone, where the picture of Brooke’s back remained.   
“Let me see,” Karen demanded, knowing Haley all too well.  
Haley handed her phone over as Lucas sat behind them, shaking and terrified.  
“Oh my god… You did this?!” Karen said, holding a hand over her mouth in disbelief as she looked at the picture.  
“I didn’t mean to,” he said quietly.   
“What did she do, Lucas?! Is this about Peyton?”  
“Of course, it’s about Peyton! Everything she does is about Peyton!” Lucas yelled, finally snapping. “She talked to her, weaseled back into her life, even kissed her on the cheek! She just can’t leave her alone, Mom!” he said, voice quieting, as tears rolled slowly down his face.  
“So all she did was try to get her best friend back, and you hurt her?” Karen asked, having to take a deep breath after seeing her son cry.  
“It’s not that simple, Mom.”  
“It is, Lucas. Whatever happens with Brooke and Peyton has nothing to do with you.”  
“It has everything to do with me, Mom. She can’t even look at Brooke without pulling away from me.”  
“So that makes it okay for you to hurt her?” Karen asked, raising an eyebrow.  
“I didn’t mean to hurt her. I just told her to stay away from Peyton or—“  
“Excuse me?!” Karen jumped in, feeling less sorry for her son by the second.  
“She broke up with me, Mom!”  
“She didn’t break up with you until she saw Brooke crying on the ground,” Haley felt the need to interject.  
“That’s it. We’re going over there,” Karen said, grabbing Lucas by his t-shirt and pulling him to his feet.  
“No, Mom…”  
“What must her parents think?”  
“They don’t know, actually. They’re not in town, but it’s not like Brooke would tell them even if they were,” Haley said. “But Larry’s gonna be pretty upset when he finds out, and Peyton…”  
“I can’t imagine how Peyton must feel,” Karen sighed. “You know she loves Brooke so much.”  
“Yeah, Mom. That’s pretty much the problem.”  
XXX  
“Do you think you should go to the hospital, Brooke?” Larry asked, clearly concerned but stoic, as they sat at the kitchen island.  
“Larry, I’m fine. It’s just a couple bruises,” Brooke blew the hair out of her eyes, not understanding all the ado. Not accepting the severity of the situation.  
“It’s not just a bruise, Brooke. You could have broken a rib,” Larry reasoned, holding in his anger in order to be strong for his daughter, and for Brooke, who may as well have been. “Peyton, do you think she should go get some x-rays?”  
“I think it’s up to Brooke, dad. When I touch it, it obviously hurts her, but it doesn’t seem like anything’s broken,” Peyton told him, for a second fearing how that might sound.  
Larry’s impending debate was interrupted by the doorbell, causing all three to sigh.  
“I’m going to go upstairs,” Brooke muttered, desperately trying to escape whatever company there was, exhausted already.   
When Larry went to the door, he stopped her attempted retreat.  
“It’s Karen and Lucas. I think you need to stay.”  
“Great,” Brooke rolled her eyes, which were forming tears, but Peyton was right there to soothe her.   
“Hi, Larry. I’m so sorry to barge in like this,” Karen said, jaw set, uncomfortable and angry.  
“It’s fine, Karen,” Larry said quietly, reminding himself that this was not her fault and he needed to keep his composure.  
“So I’m guessing you know why we’re here?”  
“Unfortunately, I do,” Larry nodded. “The girls are in the kitchen,” he said, refusing to look Lucas in the eye.   
Lucas froze when he saw the girls at the kitchen island, Peyton protectively close to Brooke. He couldn’t fix this. He couldn’t get Peyton back, so what was the point?  
“I- I came to apologise.”  
“I know you’re only here because your mom made you come,” Peyton spat, not removing her hand from the small of Brooke’s back.  
“But I, I really didn’t mean to hurt you, Brooke. I was just so upset, and-“  
“Don’t, Lucas. Don’t bother,” Peyton said, becoming angrier by the second.  
“It’s okay, Peyton. Let him talk,” Brooke said sadly. “Let’s just get it over with.”  
“I just… I didn’t mean to scare you. You know that’s not me. I would never-“  
“But you did, Lucas! You scared her. You hurt her!” Peyton interjected once again, comforting Brooke the only thing stopping her from jumping across the counter and punching him in the face.  
“I know, I just- I really didn’t mean to,” he stuttered. “And I didn’t mean the things I said. I was losing Peyton, and I was scared, and—”  
“That’s enough, Luke,” Brooke interrupted. “You can go tell your mom that you apologised. And you know what? I actually believe that you’re sorry. But you fucked up, Lucas,” she said, tears muffling her voice. “You were so worried about losing her and now you’ve lost her for good. You’re not getting her back. No matter what, I guarantee that.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actions have repercussions.

“I don’t know what to do, Nathan! It’s all my fault!” Haley cried, flinging herself into the boy’s arms, confusing the hell out of him.  
“What? What happened, Haley?”  
“Brooke. She’s hurt and upset, even if she won’t show it, and it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have told anyone what happened with Brooke and Peyton. Not you, not Lucas,” she rambled in a frenzy.  
“Why is Brooke hurt?” I thought Lucas was the one who was upset?” he asked, leading his girlfriend to sit on the couch.  
“He was. So upset that he practically attacked Brooke. He told her she needed to stay away from Peyton, and he pushed her into the lockers at school,” Haley explained, nearly forgetting that Nathan didn’t already know the story.  
“Lucas pushed Brooke?” Nathan scoffed, disbelieving.  
“More than once. And called her a whore and a bunch of other stuff. He was awful to her.”  
When Haley pulled out her cell phone to reveal the picture of Brooke’s back, Nathan’s eyes widened.  
“Karen overheard me yelling at him and took him over to Peyton’s to apologize. Not that it matters. He wouldn’t have even known what happened between them if it wasn’t for my big mouth,” Haley sighed, resting her head on Nathan’s shoulder.  
“Lucas did this to Brooke?” Nathan asked, eerily quiet as he stared at the picture, and Haley nodded sadly in response. “Be back soon,” he said, walking out the front door and not looking back.  
XXX  
“Peyt, do you mind if I go upstairs for a little bit?” Brooke asked softly, emotionally drained, constantly reliving the unbelievable day she had.  
“Of course,” Peyton smiled sadly, patting Brooke’s hand as she finished drying dishes. “I’ll be up soon. You just rest.”  
“You okay, Brooke?” Larry asked, looking up from the sink and seeing the underlying pain in her eyes.  
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she smiled weakly before retreating up the stairs.  
“She’s not fine,” Peyton said, immediately after her friend was out of earshot.  
“I know she’s not,” Larry sighed. “She needs you, Peyton.”  
“And I’ll be here, no matter what. I’ll do whatever it takes to make her okay.”  
“I know you will.”  
XXX  
“You okay, babe?” Peyton asked softly, walking into her bedroom to find it Brooke-less.   
The bathroom door was shut, however, and the sobs coming from inside were audible.   
“Brooke?” she asked, tapping on the door, her heart breaking at the sound.  
“Hey,” Brooke sniffled, “I’m fine. Sorry I’m hogging the bathroom. I’ll be out in a minute,” she said through the door.  
Despite the attempted cheeriness in Brooke’s voice, Peyton could hear the pain.   
“Brooke…” Peyton said sadly, tapping on the door again.   
“I’m fine, Peyton. I’ll be out in a second.”  
Peyton pushed open the bathroom door easily to find Brooke standing there in her bra, back to the mirror, seeing the damage for herself for the first time. Her eyes were red and puffy and tears streamed down her face.   
“Oh, Brooke…” Peyton whispered, walking to the girl and enveloping her.  
“It’s okay. I’m fine,” Brooke spat through her tears, trying to push Peyton away from her. “I feel like such a little bitch. They’re just a few bruises. I don’t know why I’m so upset,” she cried, giving in to Peyton’s embrace and clutching her friend to her.  
“Of course you’re upset, Brooke,” Peyton soothed as a tear ran down her own cheek, running her fingertips up and down Brooke’s back. “Do you remember when we were eight and Penny the cat hissed at you and scratched you?”  
Brooke pulled out of Peyton’s arms just far enough to chuckle and raise a confused eyebrow. Of course, she remembered, but what did that have to do with anything?  
“She was your cat, and you loved her and trusted her, right?”  
Brooke just nodded.  
“The scratch wasn’t that bad, but you came over here, sobbing. She scared you, and it didn’t matter that you weren’t really hurt, physically. She hurt your heart.”  
“Yeah, she did,” Brooke admitted.  
“That’s what happened today. It doesn’t matter if you think they’re just a few bruises, Brooke. Lucas scared you and he hurt you. Someone that you never thought could turn on you, did,” she said, wiping a tear from Brooke’s face and immediately wiping one from her own. “It’s okay to hurt, Brooke. It’s okay to cry,” she sniffled, pulling her back in and running her hands through the tips of her hair.  
“I don’t want to forgive him, Peyton,” Brooke cried, clutching the girl to her once again.  
“I don’t want you to. Just because it’s Lucas, that doesn’t change anything. No one is allowed to hurt you, Brooke.”  
“Why are you always so good to me?” Brooke whispered between tears, face cradled in the crook of Peyton’s neck.  
“Because I love you so much.”  
XXX  
Lucas answered the incessant knock at the door, annoyed with having to deal with any more company. His annoyance was quickly shattered though, as he was met with a solid punch to the jaw. He hadn’t even had time to see who was at the door.  
Nathan stood over him, grabbing him by the shirt and lifting him to his feet before shoving him hard into the door frame.  
“How’s it feel, asshole?!” Nathan shoved him again, holding him against the door.  
“N-Nathan…” Lucas choked out, disoriented.  
“Well? How’s it feel, big brother? Who the hell do you think you are?!” Nathan said quietly with hatred in his voice.  
“Why are you doing this?” Lucas spat out, confused and afraid, rubbing his neck before getting punched again.  
“Doesn’t make any sense, does it? To get the shit kicked out of you for no reason, out of nowhere. You did this because of Peyton, right? Because you were scared to lose her? Do you know how much she loves Brooke? She would kill for that girl. She’d probably kill you if she could stand to look at you!”  
“I didn’t mean to—”  
“I don’t give a shit what you meant,” Nathan spat, shoving his brother into the door again. “She didn’t do anything wrong, Lucas! Even if she had, she’s a girl, and she’s our friend, and you had no right to touch her! Someone needed to knock some sense into you. I knew you wouldn’t really get it any other way,” he said, pushing Lucas one more time before walking away, slamming the door.  
“Lucas?” Karen asked, walking in the back door to find Lucas, shaking, a trickle of blood coming from his nose. “Who was that?!”  
“Oh, Nathan stopped by.”


End file.
